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A recent topic of discussion in athletics is the possible compensation of college athletes and whether or not it is justified. Some athletes argue that sports, when factoring in practice time, time spent at games, and travel time, are just as difficult and demanding as working a job. Those against compensation argue that scholarships should be considered payment for being a member of a sports team. Coach Bristol, who works at panther creek, did not take a stance on the issue but said, “What people don’t realize is that the scholarship does not pay for laundry, the cafeteria closed at 7 and a lot of times we didn’t get off practice until 8, we had to go get something to eat, and just anything like extra expenses, [they were] not covered.”

Student Athletes at Panther Creek, specifically those already committed to play on a college team, had particularly strong opinions about the issue. Most expressed support, such as Abby Hugo, who said that she thought college athletes should be paid. She reasoned that, “Because they bring in a lot of revenue for the school and the school makes a lot of money off of them, so it’s only fair.” Justin McCoy agreed, saying, “It’s really a job, honestly.”

However, Claire Reist said that she disagrees with the idea that college athletes should be compensated, “I mean you’re kind of getting paid in scholarships,” She says.